Fire-escape.



PATEN TED APR. 28

B. TE1 I1-31 TBOM. FIRE ESCAPE.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT lS, 1902.

2 SHEETFr-SHEET 1.

H0 MODEL.

1 i I l //1ve/1for I We No. 726,592." PATENTED APR. 28, 1903. B.TBNENBOM.

FIRE ESCAPE.

APPLIUATION FILED SEPT. 18, 1902.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

N0 MODEL.

:NITED STATES itinnr FFICE.

BENJAMINLTENENBOM, OF WASIIINGTON, DISTRICT. or COLUMBIA, ASSIGNOR orONE-HALF TO DAVIS GOLDMAN, or WASHINGTON, DISTRICT or COLUMBIA.

FIRE-ESCAPE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 726,592, dated April28, 1903. Application filed september 18,1902. Serial No. 123.889. (Nomodel.)

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, BENJAMIN TENENBoM,a citizen of the UnitedStates,residing at Washington, in the District of Columbia, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Fire-Escapes; and I dohereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact descriptionof the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to whichit appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to fire-escapes, and has for its object to providea device of this character which is cheap to manufacture, simple in itsconstruction, and composed of a minimum number of parts.

A further object of my invention is to provide a fire-escape which isautomatic in its operation, yet which may be operated manu ally, ifdesired.

With these objects in view my invention consists in the novelarrangement of a fireescape and also in certain other novel fea tures ofconstruction and in combination of parts which will be hereinafter fullydescribed and afterward specifically pointed out in the appended claim.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is an elevation of afire-escape constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is aplan view of a slightly-modified construction.

Like characters of reference indicate thesamepartsthroughoutbothfigures,inwhich l is a house provided at its roofwith the hangers 2, within which are journaled the sprocket-wheels 8. Onsaid sprocket-wheels I provide the endless chains at, 5, 6, and 7; Saidchains also run on sprocket-wheels 8, 9,

10, and 11,1ocated at the bottom of the house catch 22 is provided onthe side of the car to engage the cranks 20 and 21 in order to keep saidwheels from turning when'the escape is not in use. It will be noticed byreferring to the drawings that said sprocket-wheels are located betweenthe chains and prevent said chains from moving when said Wheels arelocked, as just described.

In the lower sprocket-wheels 8, 9, 10, and 11 I provide spiral springs8, 9, 10', and 11, said springs in Fig. 1 being arranged so that whenthe car is lowered by turning the cranks in said car said springs arewound up by reason of the turning of the lower sprocketwheels. In Fig.2, however, I divide the car into two sections A and B, and the springs8 and 9 are so arranged that they wind up when the sectionAis raised,which is accomplished by turning the cranks 20. The springs in thesprockets 10 and 11 are arranged so that they are wound up when thesection B is lowered, which is accomplished either by turning the cranks21 or by weight of persons in the car-section B.

Having thus described the several parts of my invention, its operationis as follows: As aforesaid, the springs in the lower sprocketwheels,Fig. 1, are of sufficient strength to hold the car, which is constructedwith a view to lightness, normally at the top of the building, as shownin Fig. 1, where the cranks 20 and 21 are looked, as described, thus.securely holding the car in the desired position. In

case of fire the occupants of the building enter the car, release saidcranks, and immealtogether in order to take on passengers in itsdescent. The car having reached the ground and discharged itspassengers, the big springs in the lower sprocket-wheels imme- "diatelystart to unwindjust as soon as the car is relieved of the weight of itsoccupants, and the car is thus carried up to the top of the buildingempty to take on another load and descend, as described, until every oneis out of the building.

It is obvious that were it not for the auto- .them.

matic ascending of the car all escape would be cut off from thosepersons left on the upper floors after the car had made its firstdescent.

The operation of Fig. 2 is substantially the same as that describedexcept that it provides for one more emergency, The springs controllingthe two car-sections A and B are oppositely wound and normally tend tohold the section B at the top of the building and the sectionAat thebottom. In otherwords, the springs controlling section B will cause saidsection to ascend, while the springs controlling section A will cause itto descend. The object of this construction is as follows: It ispossible when the car ascends to the top of the building that every oneon the top fioor has safely escaped, while there are still occupants onthe intermediate floors. 'In this event the car is out of reach,beingabove The section A, however, after its first descent remains at thebottom of the building, and as soon as it is ascertained that there arepersons who cannot reach the section B section A is promptly raised tothe desired floor manually by means of the cranks 20,and thus rescuethose who would otherwise perish.

Having thus specifically described my invention, I do not wish to beunderstood as limiting myself to the exact construction herein setforth, as various slight changes might be made therein which would fallwithin the limit and scope of my invention, and I consider myselfclearly entitled to all such changes in form and construction.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of theUnited States, is

In a fire-escape, the combination with an endless chain, of a sprocketat the top thereof, a sprocket at the bottom thereof, a spring in thesaid bottom sprocket, a car and floor therefor, means for permanentlysecuring one point of said endless chain to said floor, a sprocket-wheelmounted in said car, adapted to engage said endless chain, and tooperate the same to raise or to lower the car, said endless chainsupporting the car, and furnishing the raising and lowering meanstherefor, tracks on either side of said car, and guidewheels on said carto travel in said tracks, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

BENJAMIN TENENBOBI.

Witnesses:

I. EVANS, C. HUGH DUFFY.

